Former Key Call of Duty/Titanfall Devs Launch New Kickstarter

Veterans of the studios responsible for games such as Call of Duty, Titanfall, and God of War have come together to create To the Death, a side-scrolling beat-em-up/shoot-em-up hybrid, for which they are now seeking funding through Kickstarter.

The recently launched Kickstarter has a goal of $400,000 and a deadline of February 19. To the Death puts players in the shoes of two enemy warriors who can be upgraded with new powers, weapons, and more as they fight their way through levels.

In single-player, players alternate between controlling each of the two as they fight their way toward one another from opposite directions, eventually squaring off once they meet. Split-screen multiplayer is also supported where two players can play against each other or work together.

To the Death is currently scheduled to be released in May 2015 on PC, Mac, and Linux through Steam. Stretch goals could expand the list of platforms it comes to; if $750,000 is pledged, it will come to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Other stretch goals will see multiplayer expanded to four players and online multiplayer support added.

The game is being developed by Scary Mostro, a new developer founded by Todd Alderman (who has worked on Titanfall and was the lead game designer on Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Modern Warfare 2) and Francesco Gigliotti (a former lead software engineer at Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward and Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment). The studio has teamed up with Section Studios, led by Cecil Kim (a visual development lead on God of War 3), to develop the game's look.

A playable prototype of the game has already been created that runs at 60 frames per second and is what's seen in the pitch video above. Just what the Kickstarter money will be used for is not outlined, with the Kickstarter page simply stating, "Your help allows us to retain creative freedom which in turn allows us to incorporate your feedback, voice, and perspective directly into the game. With your help we can mold To The Death into an even better experience!"

As of this writing, the Kickstarter has raised more than $15,000 of its $400,000 goal.

Chris Pereira is a freelance writer who spends his spare time agonizing over the final seasons of The X-Files. Check out what he's saying on Twitter and follow him on IGN.